National Association of Conservation Districts

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Buffer Notes

April 2006

In This Issue:

1. Earth Day Brings Newest CREPs
2. CREP Facts
3. Colorado CREP Crucial: CD Leaders
4. 20 Years of CRP Celebrated at Ohio Event
5. CRP Activity Includes Sign-Up Extensions
6. Switchgrass Draws Interest as Energy Crop
7. ‘Smart Water Use’ Free Publication Is Available
8. CSP Customers Give NRCS High Marks
9. Farm Bill Forum Summaries Will Guide Preparations
   

1. Earth Day Brings Newest CREPs
WIGGINS, Colo.—Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns celebrated Earth Day on April 21 by signing two Colorado Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) partnerships totaling $91.6 million that will conserve water and improve wildlife habitat.

“Through these CREP agreements covering 65,000 acres in eastern Colorado, farmers and ranchers will conserve water use while enhancing habitat for declining fish species and other wildlife,” said Johanns. “I'm proud to celebrate Earth Day by expanding our partnerships with farmers and ranchers who are among America’s very best stewards of the land.”

Johanns signed the agreements during an Earth Day celebration near Wiggins with Colorado Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Russell George, Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament and Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave. Following the signing ceremony, Johanns also joined FFA volunteers in planting hackberry and juniper trees.

Republican River CREP
The 35,000-acre Republican River CREP will conserve agricultural irrigation water use in the Republican River basin by 5 percent on the eligible 30,000 acres.

The plantings of native grass and other vegetative covers throughout the Republican River CREP are projected to reduce soil erosion by 374,000 tons and reduce the application of agricultural chemicals by 2,900 tons. When fully implemented, the CREP will restore 30 miles of riparian habitat and 500 wetland acres that will improve habitat for targeted fish species, including the stonecat, suckermouth minnow, brassy minnow and plains minnow.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) estimates the Republican River CREP’s total cost over a 15-year period to be $66.3 million. USDA is contributing $52.8 million, and Colorado is funding $13.5 million, including $11.7 million through the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) Water Activity Enterprise.

Colorado High Plains CREP
The Colorado High Plains CREP will increase populations of ring-necked pheasants and other ground-nesting birds by planting habitat, food plots and vegetative covers on the eligible 30,000 acres. On the enrolled acres, the CREP will boost public access and recreational opportunities, such as hunting and bird watching.

The High Plains CREP will reduce soil erosion by 160,000 tons each year, while reducing the application of chemicals by 750 tons over a 15-year period. This will improve water quality for eastern Colorado. The High Plains CREP will cost $25.3 million over 15 years, with USDA paying $19.9 million and Colorado funding $5.4 million

Among the requirements of the High Plains CREP are an approved Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) Pheasant Habitat Improvement Program contract and an approved CDOW Walk-in Access Contract, allowing public access under certain criteria on CREP contract acres and applicable adjacent acreage.

For both CREPs, landowners may offer eligible cropland in all or portions of the eastern Colorado counties of Kit Carson, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick and Yuma. Sign-up for both CREPs begins June 12, 2006, at local FSA offices and continues until enrollment goals are met, or through Dec.31, 2007, whichever comes first. Enrolled land will remain under contract for 14 to 15 years, as specified in the contract.

For more information on Colorado’s CREP, visit the FSA’s Web site at www.fsa.usda.gov.

2. CREP Facts
Here are some facts about CREPs following the signing of the nation’s two newest CREPs in Colorado this month.

Water Quantity: The Colorado Republican River CREP is the second in the nation to specifically address water quantity issues. Nebraska’s CREP targets water conservation for an approximate two-mile stretch on either side of the Republican and Platte rivers, and from the Wyoming border to Central Nebraska. For details of this CREP, see BufferNotes April 2005 at http://nacdnet.org/buffers/05Apr/crep.htm.

CREP Numbers: There are now 36 CREPS in 28 states across the nation. Colorado’s CREPs were the first announced in fiscal year 2006 and in calendar year 2006.

Enrollment: As of March 2006, 807,343 CREP acres were enrolled nationwide. The totals included 47,431 contracts on 31,646 farms. Payments per acre range from $78.22 in Louisiana to $207.90 in Iowa, with a national average of $119.56.

Practices: 26 conservation practices account for CREP enrollment nationally. Here are the top five practices and acreages as of March 2006: Riparian buffers, 163,736; filter strips, 143,038; new introduced grasses and legumes, 3,247,583; new native grasses, 123,424; and wetland restoration, 88,072.

For more information on America’s CREPs, visit FSA’s CREP pages at www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crep.htm.

3. Colorado CREP Crucial: CD Leaders
Conservation district leaders in Colorado hailed the announcement of the Republican River CREP this month as essential to meeting the needs of landowners and the environment.

“The Republican River CREP is critical to those landowners,” says Callie Hendrickson, executive director of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts. “The state of Colorado has looked at just simply shutting wells down, with no reimbursement, no way of giving producers out there a way out. This situation is really critical out there,” she says. Drought has created conditions in some areas reminiscent of the 1930s Dust Bowl, Hendrickson says. “If they shut those wells down without proper care and without a cover crop of some kind, it’s going to go back to those days.”

It all boils down to water, or lack of it, in this region of Colorado and in nearby states like Kansas and Nebraska. The continued decline in water levels of the Ogallala Aquifer that underlies the Great Plains, a prolonged drought in the region and legal battles between and among states have combined to create the current situation.

Irrigation from the shallow aquifer has been used to raise crops like corn for feedlots across the region. But the states have been tangled up in legal disagreements about water rights for years. In response to rulings that said Colorado had taken more than its share of water, the state did grant authority to its water engineer to shut down wells, says Randy Loutzenhiser, immediate past president of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and a farmer in Flagler.

By necessity as a conservation district leader and farmer in the area, Loutzenhiser has become something of an expert on the situation. He sees the CREP as part of the solution to long-standing problems. “This CREP agreement calls for enrolling 30,000 acres that are in center pivot irrigation,” he says. By his reckoning, that’s about 80 irrigation wells.

Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska have all been involved in lawsuits over water usage. In a case affecting decisions about Colorado’s irrigation usage, a federal magistrate ruled that the states should work out the disagreements themselves. In Colorado’s case, the state was required to reduce its water demand from the Republican River, which begins in the Flagler area, then crosses into Nebraska and then Kansas.

Enter the Republican River CREP, which provides a range of incentives to landowners to shut down their wells and plant permanent cover crops for up to 15 years. That will serve the purposes of reducing water demand and preventing wind erosion.

“This CREP is important. We’re also using Environmental Quality Incentives Program ground and surface water funding to shut down irrigation wells. Together, the CREP and EQIP are probably doing more to address the decline in the Ogallala than all of what we have accomplished in previous years,” Loutzenhiser says.

He predicts avid interest among producers. “For producers whose irrigation wells have been declining, they understand these programs can be of great benefit. If they meet the specifications of the program, there’s probably going to be high interest in it. I look for lines at FSA offices with producers trying to get in.”

Conservation districts in the region have already been active in promoting land use change. The Yuma district, for instance, has used Natural Resources Conservation Service and Environmental Protection Agency grants to encourage water conservation and land use changes, including planting alternate crops.

But the new CREP and EQIP options really provide producers with solid options, Loutzenhiser and Hendrickson say.

4. 20 Years of CRP Celebrated at Ohio Event
FSA and several conservation organizations attending the 71st Annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Columbus, Ohio, gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) last month.

With wildlife and conservation partners in attendance, FSA took the opportunity to honor two outstanding CRP participants from Ohio. Receiving plaques and recognition for their CRP participation were Mr. & Mrs. Joe Schneider and Mr. & Mrs. George Eberwine along with their son Carter. Joining FSA to honor the Schneider and Eberwine families were U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, the National Audubon Society, Quail Unlimited, and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife. Both conservation award recipients spoke briefly about their respect for nature and their appreciation for the CRP program and the benefits it bestows on their farms.

FSA Deputy Administrator of Farm Programs John Johnson was the featured speaker, and he lauded the tremendous growth and success that CRP has enjoyed over the last 20 years. He also noted that the application process for CRP General Sign-up 33 began March 27, approximately 20 years after the very first CRP sign-up began. In addition to presenting conservation awards to the Schneiders and the Eberwines,

Johnson recognized the diversity of conservation practices the participants used to enhance wildlife and environmental benefits. Johnson also noted that CRP’s success is due, in large part, to the partnerships FSA has forged with other agencies, organizations, and stakeholder groups.

5. CRP Activity Includes Sign-Up Extensions
Several new announcements on the Conservation Reserve Program were released this month by USDA. Following is a summary.

Announcements included an extension of the sign-up deadlines for both the CRP and the special CRP re-enrollment and extension opportunities until April 28, 2006. The deadline for both opportunities was originally April 14, 2006.

At the end of the CRP general sign-up, FSA planned to evaluate offers based on cost and the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) factors of wildlife, water, soil, air and enduring benefits. Accepted offers will become effective Oct. 1, 2006.

In addition, subject to a compliance review, CRP participants with contracts expiring on Sept. 30, 2007, were also provided an extension to April 28 to apply for special re-enrollment or extension opportunities offered by FSA.

Participants ranking in the EBI’s top one-fifth can re-enroll their land in a new 10-year contract. For lands with restored wetlands, FSA offered the opportunity for a new 15-year contract. FSA offered the second one-fifth group the opportunity for a 5-year extension; the third one-fifth a 4-year extension; the fourth one-fifth a 3-year extension; and the remaining participants a 2-year extension.

2008-2010 contract extensions announced

FSA county offices are now beginning to notify CRP participants with contracts expiring in 2008-2010 of their re-enrollment and extension opportunities. The deadline for participants to respond is June 30, 2006.

For more information on CRP, contact your local FSA office or visit the FSA Web site at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crp.htm.

6. Switchgrass Draws Interest as Energy Crop
With contracts on millions of acres of CRP set to expire in the next several years, producers face big decisions about whether and how to convert land to other uses.

At the same time, America is putting more emphasis on domestic renewable resources to meet future energy needs. Switchgrass, a native prairie grass, has long been viewed as a viable energy crop, and a new study to be released in May confirms that, according to Renewable Energy Access.

The study indicates that the economics of growing switchgrass for bioenergy are promising. It is a cooperative effort between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Nebraska economist Richard Perrin. The threshold level for success as established by the ARS and cooperators on 10 northern Plains farms in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota found that two switchgrass plants per square foot the first year ensures a successful bioenergy crop harvest in subsequent years.

As a perennial plant, switchgrass doesn’t need annual planting and tillage. It also offers wide adaptability and high yields on marginal lands.

The northern Plains region was chosen first because the economics seemed most favorable there. Farmers can expect switchgrass yields to be high enough there to produce 100 to 400 gallons of ethanol per acre with current varieties.

Switchgrass has long been used for conservation plantings and cattle feed in the United States.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program has also focused on the bioenergy potential of switchgrass. To review a recent paper, “Biofuels from Switchgrass: Greener Energy Pastures,” go to http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/switgrs.html.

7. ‘Smart Water Use’ Free Publication Is Available
As producers throughout the nation grow increasingly concerned about water scarcity, farmers, ranchers and agricultural educators are exploring various conservation-oriented approaches to water use. They are managing soil to improve infiltration, selecting drought-tolerant crops and native forages, and designing innovative runoff collection systems.

A free publication offered by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education spotlights innovations in these areas. “Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch” highlights SARE-funded research into a range of conservation options. They include soil management, such as using compost, conservation tillage and cover crops; plant management, featuring crop rotation, water-conserving plants and rangeland drought mitigation; and water management strategies such as low-volume irrigation and water recycling. It can be ordered or viewed on-line at http://www.sare.org/publications/water.htm.

Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program is part of USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

8. CSP Customers Give NRCS High Marks
Producers in several Conservation Security Program (CSP) pilot watersheds ranked NRCS employees very high for professionalism and courteous service in carrying out that program. Many respondents said they were satisfied with the services they received after enrollment.

CSP, a voluntary conservation program, supports stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. Conservation buffers are among practices that help producers qualify. Payments to producers are based on three tiers of conservation contracts. NRCS’ third CSP sign-up ended March 31 in 60 watersheds nationwide.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), NRCS received an overall score of 76 out of 100 for administering CSP, first established in 2004 in 18 pioneer watersheds in 22 states.

NRCS’ ranking for CSP is higher than the 2005 average national ACSI of 71 for the federal government and on par with earlier rankings for NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (75) and NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (77). The EQIP and WHIP customer satisfaction surveys were conducted in 2004.

The ACSI identified four “drivers of satisfaction”: the CSP Self-Assessment Workbook, the Interview with NRCS, Contract Review and Award Process and NRCS Staff. Responses to questions regarding NRCS staff rated highest at 87, with courteousness, professionalism, helpfulness and availability ranking in the high 80s and low 90s. Survey respondents relied heavily on NRCS employees to clarify the program, including the application process, through interviews and workshops.

ACSI arrived at its overall customer satisfaction score by conducting telephone interviews—from September 12-16, 2005—with 250 producers from 13 of the 18 watersheds nationwide who were awarded CSP funding in 2004. Respondents were asked how satisfied they were with the services provided by NRCS in CSP; to what extent have the services provided by NRCS in CSP fallen short or exceeded their expectations; and how well do they think CSP compares to the ideal way of allocating funds. This is the first customer satisfaction survey for this new program.

ACSI is the only uniform, national cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States in the federal government and the private sector. In 1999, the federal government began to use ACSI to measure citizen satisfaction. The index is produced by the University of Michigan in partnership with the American Society for Quality and the CFI Group, an international consulting firm.

For more information about the American Customer Satisfaction Index results, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/spa/index.html and scroll down to “Customer Satisfaction.” For more information about Conservation Security Program, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.

9. Farm Bill Forum Summaries Will Guide Preparations
USDA has completed a summary of the public comments submitted verbally and in writing during USDA’s Farm Bill Forum listening tour. The summaries will serve as a basis for USDA policy review and analysis in preparation for the 2007 farm bill.

“The best way to understand the challenges and opportunities in agriculture is to listen to the people whose lives are affected by the policies we enact,” said USDA Secretary Mike Johanns.

The effort to categorize the comments, while ensuring every opinion is represented, led to the development of 41 general subject areas. These formed the basis for the 41 summary papers. Each paper includes three sections: factual background data about the topic, a summary of general opinions expressed, and a list of specific suggestions that were conveyed. These papers are strictly summaries of the opinions and suggestions of those who submitted public comment.

Johanns announced that the next step for USDA in preparing for the 2007 farm bill is to glean from these summary documents a number of themes that warrant further analysis. The analysis of each theme, which will be led by USDA Chief Economist Dr. Keith Collins, will contain factual, unbiased information. Each analysis paper will be posted on the USDA Web site when it is completed.

The first theme will be risk management. The public comments offer a broad array of ideas about how to best manage the risks associated with agriculture. Johanns noted in selecting risk management as a good first topic for analysis that farm businesses must manage risks effectively to be economically sustainable. Risks range from production losses due to weather or diseases, to shifts in product demand, to surges in production costs.

Crop insurance, price and income support programs and ad hoc disaster assistance have been the primary federal financial tools to help producers manage risks and were the subject of repeated concerns throughout the comments.

Johanns and the leadership of USDA traveled the country last year to hear the opinions of producers and other stakeholders about future farm policy, receiving more than 4,000 comments. In total, 52 forums were conducted in 48 states, all but Mississippi and Louisiana where the focus during this period was on hurricane recovery. Johanns hosted 21 of the forums, participating in 66 hours of listening. Many people offered their comments verbally during one of the 52 farm bill forums, while others submitted comments through the USDA web site or traditional mail.

The summary papers are available on the USDA website at www.usda.ogv. Transcripts of the Farm Bill Forums are also posted there.